How to Transfer Photos to an iPad

If you have photos on your computer that you want to put on your iPad, take advantage of the native iTunes application designed to transfer content between a computer and iOS devices. You can also use iCloud's Photo Stream capabilities to move photos onto an iPad running iOS 8.1.

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Connect the iPad to the computer using the USB cable that came with the iPad.

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Connecting to iTunes

With iTunes, you can transfer photos onto your iPad from two locations on your computer: directly from an application or from a folder. Start by connecting your iPad to your computer using the cable that came with the device. Launch iTunes on your computer if it does not launch automatically. If you don't already have iTunes, download and install the Windows version for free from Apple's website.

Transferring Photos in iTunes -- Selecting Your Location

Once you've connected your iPad to your computer, select the iPad on the list of devices in the upper corner of iTunes. Click the "Photos" tab and place a check mark in the "Sync Photos From" check box. Click the associated drop-down menu and select the location from which you want to transfer photos. To transfer from an application, select the application. On a Windows computer, you might choose "Photoshop," for example. On a Mac, you might choose "iPhoto" or "Aperture." If you'd rather transfer photos from a folder on your computer, click "Choose Folder" on the drop-down menu and select the folder containing the photos.

Transferring Photos in iTunes -- Customizing Sync Settings

Once you select the folder or app from which you want to transfer photos, iTunes presents you with a few customization options. Select the "All photos, albums, Events, and Faces" radio button to transfer all compatible photos onto your iPad. If you want to transfer only some of the available photos, select the "Selected albums, Events, and Faces" radio button and then select which photos you want to move onto your iPad. You can also check the "Include Videos" check box to transfer compatible videos. Click "Apply" to save your settings. A copy of the selected photo is moved to the iPad. The original remains on your computer.

Transferring Photos from Photo Stream

If you have iCloud on your computer, you can also use it to transfer photos to your iPad. If you don't already have iCloud on your PC, download it for free from Apple's website. Once you've installed iCloud, open it and sign in using the same iCloud account you use on your iPad. Place a check mark in the "Photos" check box, click "Options" and turn on the My Photo Stream feature. Click "Apply" when you're finished. Photos are automatically uploaded to your iCloud account and remain there for 30 days. Tap the "Settings" icon on your iPad, select "iCloud," choose "Photos" and turn on the My Photo Stream feature, if it's not already enabled. Tap the photos you want to transfer from your PC and then tap "Save Image" to download them from your iCloud account to your iPad.

Email, Other Cloud-Based Services and File Compatibility

You can also email photos as attachments to an email address accessible from your iPad. Open the email on the iPad and save the attachments.

A number of cloud-based storage services, including Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive, have apps you can use on your iPad to transfer photos from your PC.

The iPad is compatible with the following image formats: BMP, GIF, JPEG, JPG, SGI, PNG, TIF and TIFF.